About this video

• Video Title: How Cleo Abram Dominated YouTube in Under 1 Year
• Channel: Colin and Samir
• Speakers: Cleo Abram, Colin, Samir
• Duration: 02:22:25

Overview

This video is an interview with Cleo Abram, a former Vox journalist who launched her own YouTube show, "Huge If True," focusing on optimistic technology and the future. The discussion covers her rapid success on YouTube, her unique approach to launching a "show" rather than just a channel, her ideation process, and the meticulousness behind her video production. They also touch on her team, the use of Shorts, thumbnails, her background at Vox, the shift to independent creation, and her views on journalism, optimism, AI, and the future.

Key takeaways

• Fast Ascent to YouTube Success: Cleo Abram achieved significant subscriber growth (3.5 million in 2.5 years) and viewership by focusing on creating a distinct "show" with its own brand, rather than a general YouTube channel.
• Show, Not Channel Philosophy: Abram views YouTube channels as an evolution from traditional television channels, where a channel can host multiple shows. Her commitment is to "Huge If True" as a singular, branded show.
• Meticulous Ideation and Visuals: Abram employs a rigorous checklist for story ideas, prioritizing genuinely visual concepts that can be explained accessibly without jargon. Her videos, like the one about CERN, are praised for their complex yet understandable explanations and high-quality animations.
• Optimism as a Core Value: The show "Huge If True" is built on an optimistic outlook towards technology and the future, aiming to counter the prevalent negativity in media and inspire viewers to believe in and participate in making the world better.
• Strategic Use of Shorts: Short-form content is used strategically to highlight compelling sections of long-form videos, test new ideas, and reach a broader audience, serving as a valuable tool for channel growth and audience engagement.
• Building a Sustainable Brand: Abram emphasizes building a distinct brand ("Huge If True") and a loyal audience that trusts her voice and taste, balancing creative freedom with business development by focusing on her core mission.
• Teamwork and Shared Vision: The success of "Huge If True" is attributed to a small, dedicated team (animator, producer, editor) who share Abram's vision and possess complementary skills, highlighting the importance of collaboration in high-quality content creation.
• Navigating Journalism and Advertising: Abram maintains journalistic rigor by being truthful and transparent about sponsorships, distinguishing ads from editorial content, and allowing viewers to form their own opinions, while still acknowledging the financial necessity of advertising.
• Personal Journey as Storytelling: Abram incorporates her personal experiences, such as undergoing fertility-preserving surgery, into her videos to provide a more human and relatable element to complex topics, demonstrating a blend of personal narrative and factual reporting.
• Future of Media and Creator Independence: The conversation touches upon the evolving media landscape, the challenges faced by traditional media companies, and the growing opportunities for independent creators to build their own brands and tell stories in unique ways.

Yes, Cleo Abram mentions a checklist for greenlighting stories. She states, "The actual checklist that I think about before greenlighting a story involves three things: the first is, is this genuinely visual? Um, is there something to, uh, animate, point a camera at, demonstrate?" She elaborates on this by discussing the importance of key visuals that require a video explanation.

While she discusses her rigorous process and the need for clear visuals, there is no mention of spreadsheets in the transcript.

The transcript discusses finding the right people in the context of building Cleo Abram's team for "Huge If True." Key points include:

• Taste as the Biggest Bottleneck: Cleo identifies "taste" as the hardest thing to find when hiring and scaling a team. This refers to finding people who share her aesthetic and creative judgment or can understand and replicate it.
• Trust and Shared Vision: She emphasizes working with people she trusts deeply, feeling a creative connection and the potential for mutual growth. This trust is often established through initial conversations and collaborations on individual projects.
• Self-Selection Through Collaboration: Many of her team members approached her because they believed in the project of "Huge If True" and shared her vision.
• Hiring for Expertise: Cleo highlights the advantage of hiring individuals who are significantly better than her in their respective fields, such as animation (Justin Po) and science production (Nicole Menart).
• Early Freelance and Transition to Full-Time: Initially, she worked with freelance friends and collaborators. Over time, as the project gained momentum and demonstrated success, these individuals transitioned to full-time roles.
• Shared Mission Over Individual Praise: Cleo values having a team that cares more about the mission of the show than about boosting her individually, which she finds to be a healthy dynamic for the team and the project.

Here are the points in the transcript where "script" or "scripts" is mentioned in relation to creating videos:

• "How do you script those and and how do you think about that and how is that effortless or is that something that you're going like really deep into those first 60 seconds"
• "I mean none of this is effortless um it uh I'm constantly doubting every moment of that and have I fully explain something correctly and oh my god um that intro uh"
• "I mean that's all Justin and having I mean this is something else that we could talk about but like having people that you can kind of hand the ball to and be like holy cow you can run so far and so fast like do your thing um I want to stay on that on the graphic just for a second like I've got a lot of questions about this intro but when you're working with Justin on those first 50 to 60 seconds what are you giving him is it just script and then he's like okay got it like I think you can trust him to come back with that or how how much back and forth is there to get to that"
• "So for example there was like the the pin on the map and then it flips down and you see the crosssection and it's like in um we we reuse that animation at the beginning of the episode after the titles and you like see me in an elevator it's like Cleo is here and it's like descending so it's important that that's the scale it looks like this Etc and then uh you know in maybe the fourth or fifth sentence I forget what it is uh you're zooming into the tunnel"
• "I mean a lot of the comments that had been on Twitter that I had gotten so interested in about like oh my God this is like the Matrix ended up on YouTube being like I'm still scared of that future that seems bad also um it seems like this deserves a lot more research and a lot more attention and like there are people working on technologies that can make it easier to kids and like that seems good um and so the reflection like a lot of men saying um oh I hadn't thought about the fact that you might feel that way like thank you for walking me through that and that was really meaningful to me um and then fast forward um I went through the egg freezing process and that is also I hadn't seen I'd seen excellent explanations of the science of that from doctors I'd seen really wonderful and emotionally compelling walkthroughs of that from people that I respect on YouTube and uh on other platforms but I hadn't really seen someone try their best to combine both and in doing so give more weight to the science and also give more kind of explanatory um usefulness to the Vlog so that's my best example of something that like I'm really proud of that I now feel like I can do that is using my own life and wellbeing to tell a story"
• "The other is testing before a long form um so that uh deep whole short is I'm working on a script right now that is a long form video all about what we know about the Deep birth"
• "We have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "We have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "so we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "so we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "We have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "so yeah we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "so yeah we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "so yeah we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after this is done yeah so we have a couple ideas yeah but it's like do we want to make videos about things that are going away you're always at odds with these incentives you know you're always at odds with like the optimization and like the the media environment and the audience environment versus like trying to hold a brand to its integrity and its values um that is a very interesting dance we all play as creators it's why it's so important to have them in the first place yeah"
• "we have a lot of ideas not want to that I'm excited to hear what those might be after

Cleo Abram discusses her time working at Vox, highlighting several key aspects:

• Initial Role and Transition: She started in the marketing team at Vox Media before moving to the business side within the editorial brand of Vox itself. She was initially excited about working for Vox specifically and strategically positioned herself near the video team.
• Developing Video Skills: Abram took night classes at the School of Visual Arts to learn editing and animation in Premiere Pro and After Effects. She then began making videos for Vox, first for a fashion vertical called "Recode" and then within Vox itself, often working on them "nights and weekends."
• Pioneering Streaming Shows: Her experience at Vox included pitching and producing shows for streaming platforms, notably the Netflix series "Explained." She describes the success of the "Diamonds Explained" episode as a significant moment in her career.
• Creative Freedom Limitations: While she enjoyed her work and the team at Vox, Abram felt that the company, like most media companies at the time, wasn't equipped to support individual creators in launching their own channels, owning their IP, or having the kind of creative freedom and distinct tonal voice she desired for "Huge If True."
• Learning from Peers: She benefited greatly from her colleagues at Vox, who provided advice and feedback on her early video work.
• Journalistic Ethics: Even within Vox, she adhered to journalistic ethics, which she continued to uphold when she went independent. This included not letting subjects see the story before publication and being transparent about her work.
• Impact of the "Explained" Experience: The experience of pitching and producing "Explained" was instrumental in shaping her desire to create her own independent show, as it solidified her passion for explanatory journalism and revealed the limitations of working within a large media company for her specific vision.

Cleo Abram discusses her approach to creating short-form videos (Shorts) in several ways:

• Creative Escape Valve: She views short-form content as a way to release creative energy and address topic-related anxieties, allowing her to explore ideas that might not fit into longer formats.
• Repurposing Long-Form Content: A primary strategy is to take compelling sections from her long-form videos and adapt them into Shorts. She identifies these by looking for specific, visually interesting segments or "loops" within her scripts that can stand alone.
• Testing Ideas for Long-Form: Shorts are also used to test the viability of topics before committing to a full-length video. If a Short performs well, it can indicate potential interest for a longer, more in-depth episode.
• Standalone, Engaging Content: She recognizes that some topics are best suited for a 60-second format and don't require extensive development. These Shorts provide a way to cover a wider range of interesting technologies and initiatives.
• Visual Appeal is Key: Like her long-form content, Shorts heavily rely on strong visuals. A key visual element can drive the narrative and make the short engaging, even if the viewer doesn't grasp every detail.
• Strategic CTAs: Abram often includes Call-to-Actions (CTAs) in her Shorts, both to encourage subscriptions for more content and to direct viewers to the longer, related episodes.
• Audience Growth Driver: She acknowledges that Shorts have significantly contributed to her channel's subscriber growth, with a single Short potentially driving a noticeable percentage of new subscribers.
• Treating Shorts as Distinct Content: Abram emphasizes that Shorts are not just "little siblings" to long-form videos but are valuable content in their own right, capable of reaching millions of people and conveying the show's core message of optimism about science and technology.
• Process: The team (including Nicole, who pitches and writes short scripts, and Justin, who handles animation) works on creating Shorts in batches or as opportunities arise. The process involves scripting, recording, and editing, with the goal of maintaining the show's brand and visual style.

The transcript you provided doesn't explicitly detail a "4-step video process." However, it does describe Cleo Abram's meticulous approach to creating her videos, which involves several key stages and considerations:

• Ideation and Curiosity: It starts with her genuine curiosity about a topic and identifying something that genuinely excites her.
• Research and Understanding: She dedicates significant time to understanding complex subjects, acknowledging that this can take months for topics like particle physics.
• Visual Storytelling: A crucial element is identifying "genuinely visual" concepts that can be demonstrated or animated, as video is her preferred medium for explanation.
• Accessibility and Clarity: The goal is to make complex topics understandable to a broad audience, adhering to the principle of "never underestimate your audience's intelligence and never overestimate their prior knowledge." This involves avoiding jargon and using analogies.
• The "Huge If True" Angle: Every video is filtered through the lens of her show's mission: to explore optimistic visions of the future, highlight people working on solutions, and explain how these advancements can lead to a better world.
• Scripting with Visuals in Mind: She uses a three-column script format (Audio, Visuals, Sources) to meticulously plan the narrative flow and corresponding visuals.
• Collaboration with a Team: Abram works closely with her team (animator, science producer, editor) throughout the process, from conceptualizing ideas and visuals to refining the final edit.
• **Hooking